Author
Topic: The Original "Midnight Madness" (Read 5547 times)

I didn't go to midnight madness in 99... While on vacation in California for EPII, I went to TRU and stood in line for about 45 minutes. Got a few things, as most was wiped out by the time I got in there. After that I drove down to SWM and leisurely shopped around finding everything except for Dooku and Yoda. Found Yoda and Dooku a couple of days later... It was fun. Can't wait for EP III!

I went to MM99. It was actually quite orderly, considering the stories I've read here. I just bought Maul, Qui-Gon, and Obi-Wan that night, and I was the first guy out of the store. When I walked to the register, they were like "Is this it?" I was like "Yeah, especially when I'm on a limited budget and you're charging $7 a crack." I ended up getting the first three series before the movie opened.

Then at school the next day (it was my senior year of high school ) I got flak because I was in the footage they showed the next morning on the news. It was slightly embarrasing, but I didn't care, because I was going to graduate in ten days and never see those people again.

For MM02, there wasn't a TRU opening for it, and I was working 3rd shift. I went after work and found lots o' goodies. My first figures were Yoda, Anakin HD, and the red Clone. I also had every figure available before the flick opened.

I hit the toys r us in Ft. Collins Colorado at midnight on the way home from celebration. What a madhouse. No security or anything. I got punched in the back of the head because someone wanted Sebulba's pod which I was holding and I got elbowed in the gut while someone tried to take a darth maul out of my hand. True story.

And yet, I remember it happily because I managed to get every figure/vehicle/beast all in one swoop. I spent the next few days slowly opening things to prolong the happiness.

I hit the toys r us in Ft. Collins Colorado at midnight on the way home from celebration. What a madhouse. No security or anything. I got punched in the back of the head because someone wanted Sebulba's pod which I was holding and I got elbowed in the gut while someone tried to take a darth maul out of my hand. True story.

Unbelievable! I can't believe that crap people will do when it comes to buying some toys like that.

Just reading through some older threads today, and found this one. Its been nice reading everyone's experiences. Much like Scott, Mikey, and others - I didn't go to MM in 99. I wasn't totally into collecting yet, and just really starting to read up on the line and figures at this point. I was in college (in a smaller town), and worked at the only retail place in town - a Pamida (similar - and now owned by - Shopko). A co-worker and I got the job of setting up the Star Wars display for the next morning since our manager knew we were fans. As we set them up and looked at them, we both decided to get a few. I didn't go nuts, I think initially picking up the following figures (if I remember correctly):

Qui-Gon JinnObi-Wan KenobiDarth MaulYodaR2-D2C-3PO

I know for sure I picked up Jinn, Kenobi, and Maul - and I think those were the other three. After that, I picked up more and more figures here and there (at the same time buying POTF2 figures I missed before I started collecting). It was pretty much downhill from there.

For the 2nd MM for AOTC, I did actually go. We still lived in the same small town, so a friend and I drove to a nearby (larger) town to Wal-mart. We got there about 11:45, and there was probably 10 or so people there. It was somewhat busy, but I ended up getting most everything I wanted - with the Royal Guard and Dooku being the ones I missed the first time I believe. I got pretty much all of the initial wave of figures, a couple ships, and the Reek. It was the most I ever spent on Star Wars at once, by far.

That is until 2005's madness. This was after we moved to "the city", so there were quite a few more people there, but the crowd was generally polite and helpful. I found pretty much everything I was looking for (Unleashed was the toughest one - seems funny now since they were overproduced), and THIS was the most I had ever spent on Star Wars. Most of the figures, vehicles, etc. - plus Unleashed, Galactic Heroes, etc. The wifey helped me out this time, and was really great about it. I got up early the next morning to hit the "tent sale" at Wal-Mart to get the Early Bird set (which I could have waited on since they were sitting on shelves months later), and hit Target to look for the exclusive Vader (didn't ever see it), but ended up grabbing a couple of figures I missed at MM, as well as an Unleashed Grievous. Yikes, that was a spending spree the likes of which I never intend to do again. All in all though, it was fun having all of that stuff at once - kind of weird too.

i went to a local K-B and a friend was the manager there so she helped me get some stuff. i think i got the maul 12" there. i got a packaging box that said not to display the figures till that day. then i hit TRU and got the official your freaking nuts diploma that said i was there at midnight. its fun to see that stuff every once in a while.

Just bumping up this old thread with the 10th Anniversary of TPM upon us today. I've detailed my experiences above (as many others have), but it is always nice to hear others. I didn't technically go to "Midnight Madness" that time, as I wasn't in collecting full force quite yet (just sporadically buying POTF2 figures as a poor college student) - but I do think the TPM was the road downhill for me, as it was for many people. Despite the poor reviews of the film, as well as many worsening opinions over time, it was really a fun time to be a fan with "new" Star Wars back in the theaters and in the toy aisles and so much hype everywhere.

I didn't get back into toy collecting until almost a year after TPM was released, but I remember watching all these weirdos on tv lined up outside stores and all the havoc they were causing inside. I can understand the excitement though, this being the first SW movie since Jedi, but I was like - look at all these freaking dorks going crazy over little plastic men. I've still never been to a midnight madness to this day, but more power to ya guys.

Logged

Learn new skills at home that some consider to be.....unnatural. Easy repayment terms. 555-PLPTN

Was just thinking about MM the other day. I was going through the few autographs I have, and found stashed away my "Official MM Certificate" thing signed by some guy... the TRU store manager maybe? Or a Hasbro employee or something.

Anyway, found it odd and kind of funny that I hung onto this for so long. I recall buying hardly anything that night. The next one I bought even less at and was glad I did because I got almost eveyrthing from 2002 on clearance. I didn't make teh ROTS MM.